Pumpkin Eater. Jeffrey Round

an aggrieved look. “No. I didn’t know anything about it. How could I? Anyway, what does ‘not over yet’ mean? Lots of things are not over. Darryl Hillary still needs to be accounted for, for one thing. His life may be over, but his story isn’t finished till they catch his killer. Why is that significant?”

      Trevor gave him a small smile. “I’m not trying to convince you of anything.”

      “I know.”

      Dan leaned in and kissed him. “Sorry, I don’t mean to gripe at you. Thank you for understanding me better than I understand myself sometimes.”

      Trevor laughed. “Ah, there’s the rub! It’s not that I understand you better; it’s just that I’m not in denial about who you are.”

      Ralph came over and gave Trevor an appealing look.

      “I’ll walk Ralph while you phone the good detective back. Then afterward let’s share some body heat and say dirty things to one another.”

      “Deal.”

      They hadn’t intended to have sex in that heat, but once they started it was too hard to stop. No sleeping till this is over, Dan told himself. He was surprised by the immediacy of his need, both physically and emotionally. His hunger for Trevor was ravenous, as though nothing could contain or hold it back. Some days he felt as if it would expand until he burst. His life was suddenly, unexpectedly beginning to make sense, a defining force bringing coherence to chaos.